Field of Scavengers: Part Two

     It had been months since they witnessed the beauty of the stars twinkling in the sky. The moon itself was already a glow before the war, and now it is lost behind the constant overcast, which lingers. Snow and soot occasionally fall and coat everything in a dark layer of some snowlike substance that doesn’t quite feel like snow in the palm of their hands.

     Chloe, playful as always with the snow before the war, reached down and scooped a handful of the sooty snow and as she attempted to raise it to her mouth, Gwendolyn thundered, “no! Baby drop it! Never taste the dirty snow now!”

     Chloe, an obedient little girl, cleared every dark flake from her hand. “Sorry, mommy!”

     The lightning in Gwendolyn’s eyes passed as quickly as it had sparked. She then assured Chloe, “when we get back home, we will make a snow man.” 

     “I wanna make make a snow lady, mommy!” Chloe exclaimed. “She will be beautiful like you, mommy.” 

     Gwendolyn for the moment forgot the terrible situation they were in, and smiled saying, “and baby, we have mommy’s collection of buttons, we will place two bright, blue buttons for mommy’s eyes.” 

     “And a big carrot for your nose!” Chloe giggled. 

     Gwendolyn wouldn’t mention the fact that all the crops have died in the world, and there would be no carrot for their snow lady. So, Gwendolyn played along.

     “We’ll find me a big, bright nose, sweetie.” 

     “Mommy must have a pretty face!”

     “Oh, mommy will surely be pretty! And you know what sweetie? There will be a little snow girl next to mommy. With bright, green buttons for eyes! Mommy and daughter holding hands!” Gwendolyn exhibited a rare, momentary jubilance, but only for her little girl’s sake. 

     For about an hour, they trekked through the deep, sooty snow following what was Main street. And as they approached the town center, the evidences of the total breakdown in law and order were obvious everywhere they looked. The occasional, distant thunder of gunshots were a way of life now. Homes with mere glows in their windows from candlelight. The windows of all businesses shattered, vandalized, looted and abandoned forever. No ray of light anywhere anymore. Darkness all around.

     “Remember baby, when we see the church, keep holding my hand tight. And do not look at anything – only mommy.” 

     Chloe remembered their last walk into town some nights before, and how dreadful the experience was. “Mommy, I haven’t seen the bad boys yet – where are they?” 

     Gwendolyn’s hand grasped Chloe’s in a subconscious response and Chloe winced as she attempted to free her little hand from Gwendolyn’s vice-grip. 

     “Mommy, you’re hurting me!”

     Gwendolyn mentally snapped out of the terrible memory, and released her daughter’s hand. Breaking free, Chloe again wanted her hand in the sanctity of her mother’s. 

     “Come, baby.” Gwendolyn again guided Chloe into the darkness of post society. 

     The town hall was in sight, but barely. The thunder, once distant, now ever closer, Gwendolyn kept a vigilant eye in every direction especially behind them. She recalled a story she had heard from one man in town who warned that if you go out into the snow, tracks will follow, and so will gangs of boys who no longer possess conscience nor family. Gwendolyn needed not hear more. 

     The town hall, which once housed the public library, the local police department and town offices, was obviously dangerous to set foot in now. The bad boys were known to linger within and even call it home now. Watching from within through the tall, black windows. No ray of even candlelight, just darkness. 

     Then suddenly, Chloe lifted a pointed finger towards the town hall exclaiming, “mommy! I see one! I see one of the bad boys looking at us!”

     As if lightning had struck the ground before them, Gwendolyn gasped, and as quick as lightning, lowered Chloe’s pointed finger. “Look at me, baby,” Gwendolyn whispered. “Don’t ever do that again.” 

     Gwendolyn made caressing motions with her thumb onto Chloe’s hand and added, “promise me, baby.”

     Chloe dipped her head, answering, “Yes, mommy.” 

     “Say it!”

     Chloe lifted her head, “I promise, mommy.” 

     Occasionally, Gwendolyn would squint her eyelids, and her eyes covertly gazed at the windows of the townhall. Always vigilant now, Gwendolyn knew that while fetching water, if the worst were to happen, her and the most most precious thing in the world to her, would die quickly together. While pondering this, Gwendolyn was constantly reminded of her missing husband’s fully loaded pistol, which she had concealed in her jacket pocket. The last two shots would be saved for the absolute worst case scenario. Two tickets with metal casings, straight to heaven together.

     As they passed the watchful eyes within the town hall windows, Gwendolyn could make out a voice from that direction, “hey ladies!”

     Chloe naturally looked over and Gwendolyn delicately with the palm of her hand, covered Chloe’s eyes and guided her head to look away. 

     “Ignore anything you hear if it’s not from your mama, ok?” Gwendolyn whispered.

     “I promise, mommy.” 

     A tear flew down Gwendolyn’s cheek as she made a promise to her little girl, “and I promise to protect you.”

To be continued…